Final Fantasy X: Final Fable
by Rioshin
Summary: Rioshin & his longtime friend Tidus prepare for the biggest night of their lives. Little do they know how big, cuz after tonight... nothing will be the same for them again... Chapter 7 up!
1. Chapter 1 Memories

Okay everyone! This is my first fanfic ever! I would like any & all reviews thrown at me to let me know if I show promise.. or if I should just end it right here... lol, hope its not that bad tho! (rubbing the back of my head & grinning sheepishly), but if it is, let me know anyway! So, without further ado, I shall begin! Oh, & I do not own Final Fantasy or any of the characters, so please don't sue me!

Chapter 1: Memories

I am having the same dream again..... In it, I am surrounded by darkness. I can't see, move, or speak.

During this dream I always feel trapped, claustrophobic even.... & I can't tell what the hell is going on. I hated this feeling when the dreams first started, & I hate it now.

But this wasn't the worst part... No, the worst part was the voice I heard.. just before I woke up.

It was deep.. dark.. & in a strange way.. hungry. & it only uttered these words... _let me out...._ _let me free... let me.... feeeedddd....."__**GGGAAHHH!!!" **_

I bolted upright in bed, dripping in cold sweat, breathing heavily as I sat still for a moment, gathering my thoughts.

The dream I had was disturbing, but I quickly put it aside to deal with later.

_There's something I'm supposed to do... but what? _That's when a blitzball zoomed at my head with lightning speed.

Without even looking, I put up my left arm & caught it with my hand. _Oh yeah, the game tonight. That's why I slept early today. _"Darn," said a voice through the window. "coulda sworn I had you that time!"

"Well, looks like you lost again pretty boy," I said, as I casually tapped the ball lightly in the air with my left hand, then served it back through the window with my right. "I believe that's.... 50 gil you owe me now?"

"Aw c'mon Rio, you're not really gonna count that one are ya," said the young blitzer outside my house, catching the ball with his right hand, then tucking it under his arm. "I mean, I was just testin' your reflexes for tonight's game, that's all. Gotta make sure my #1 goalie is in tip-top shape at all times!"

I laughed, despite myself. "that's a buncha crap & you know it! I could play a forward just as easy you can, if not better. I just don't like the spotlight is all." The blondie I'm ribbing is none other than Tidus, fellow blitzball player who just happens to be the captain of our team, the Zanarkand Abes.

Though with all the times he comes to me for advice on plays, one would assume the job was divided. And my name is Rioshin, though people call me Rio for short. Tidus & I have been best friends for 10 years, ever since our fathers went out to sea on exactly the same day.

His father, Jecht, & my father, Shinar, were rivals back in the day, Even though they were on the same team! One was always trying to outdo the other, but Jecht appeared more famous because he loved the publicity while my dad shunned it, always preferring to be left alone.

Tidus & I met when he & his mother showed up at the pier, watching the boats leave the dock. Tidus just happened to stand next to me while we watched in silence.

Then, after a while.. "I hate him," said little Tidus, his eyes narrowed to slits as he saw Jecht's boat disappear into the fog. "I hope my dad _never _comes back." I stared at him for a moment, then turned back to watching my own dad's boat fade away.

"Me... too. I hate my dad & I hope he stays out there,".... "_Forever_." We both said that word at the same time, & quickly looked at each other wide-eyed. Then, slowly, we both began to grin, then giggle, then just burst out laughing.

When we calmed down, The blond kid looked at me & said, "Hey, what's your name? I'm Tidus!" Shyly, I replied, "Rioshin. Nice to meet you!" I held out a hand, he took it. When we shook hands that day, our friendship had begun.

& it turns out that our fathers never did come back! We were secretly overjoyed at the news! From then on, we conspired to become greater blitzball players than they ever were. It took a lot of blood sweat & tears, but today would be our most important game ever.

If we managed to beat the Duggles for the championship, we would be recognized as the best national team that ever existed!

The holo-posters of our fathers would be taken down, & ours would be up there instead, though the thought of my big mug on the side of a building didn't quite sit right with me. "Helloooo! Earth to Rio! Did you hear what I said? The game's starting in 20 minutes! Get dressed man, we gotta go!"

Snapping out of my reverie, I replied, "Alright, just give me 3, 5 minutes tops! I gotta put oil in my locks!"

"Aw c'mon! It looks fine the way it is! Besides, we'll be in the water anyways, so your hair will get moisturized no matter what!" I grinned, tousling my locks until my bangs went in my eyes. "Heh, don't worry, you'll be busy yourself in just a moment." Tidus raised an eyebrow. "whaddaya mean by that?" Smiling, I nodded behind him. He turned around, just to get nearly knocked down by screaming fans. "That, my friend, is exactly why I don't prefer the spotlight."

well, sorry its a bit short, but this is my first time. What do you think? Please be brutally honest! thanks!


	2. Chapter 2 Our Stories

Hey everyone! Here is the second chapter! I beleive this is twice as long as the previous one, so I hope it explains alot more than the first one did! keep leavin' those comments people! okay, peace out! & again, I don't own Final Fantasy in any way so don't sue!

Chapter 2: Our Stories

I finally finished cleaning up, which only took 3 minutes, & had already flipped out my window, positioning my feet on the wall after falling a few feet, then jumping off, landing in a light crouch on the ground. So light in fact, that the fan club for Tidus didn't notice me walk up on them.

I stood for a moment watching them, listening to the many voices that shouted all at once. _I just don't know how he does it, _I thought, as he stood signing blitzballs for kids & posturing & winking at women.

_To this day I don't have the desire or patience to deal with all that publicity, but it suits him perfectly. Just like Jecht. _And as I thought about it, I guess I wasn't too far off from my old man either. "Keeping your distance again eh, Rioshin," said a quiet, gruff voice from behind me to the left. I smirked.

"But I suppose you would know all about that, wouldn't you Auron. Haven't heard from you in a while." I turned to regard the man in the shadows that spoke. He slowly stepped into the light as I walked up to him.

This man's name was Auron, a middle-aged samurai who watched over us since our fathers disappeared over 10 years ago. He came to us when the news spread after months of searching that Jecht & Shinar had vanished off the face of the Earth, presumed dead.

Auron was a kind of father figure to Tidus & a mentor to both of us. We even sparred with him when we had the opportunity. We never won of course, seeing as he was a veteran samurai, but I did manage to knick him once or twice in recent fights.

I used the double-blade technique, preferring offense over defense, though I have learned to protect myself using defensive spells. Tidus fought with the one-handed sword technique, making it easier to defend with his other arm. When Tidus left to sleep or fulfill his duty's as captain, I usually stayed behind to hone my skills.

During one of our sessions, Auron rushed me with a downward slash. I had no time to dodge or attack, so I crossed my blades in an X shape as his sword came down. I immediately began to strain under the force of his weapon, my arms visibly shaking as I struggled to keep my posture.

Through strained gasps, I asked him, "Why.... are you pushing me... so hard.... today?" Auron looked at me with his good eye, & told me what still sticks in my mind today. "I do this for two reasons... one, you have potential, & two... your _stories_ will begin soon..."

That was 3 months ago. Now, here he is again with that cryptic aura about him. As if knowing what I was thinking, he nodded. "You should enjoy this moment while you can," he said, as he turned to walk back into the shadows. "Every good story needs a good prologue."

"Huh? What do you mean? What story?" He stopped walking & turned his head to look at Tidus, then me. "You will both come to find out soon enough. I will be there when it happens. For now, you two should probably get to the stadium. You've only got 10 minutes right?"

Chuckling, Auron walked back into the alley & disappeared. Standing there, I puzzled over what he meant. _What did he mean by, "_our stories"_? Are we gonna be writing biography's? Oh shit! The game! I don't have time to think about this now! We have to go! _Shaking my head, I ran to the Tidus Fan Club & slid my way into the middle to reach their leader.

"Sorry ladies & gentlemen, but this star's gotta make the main event! If you'll excuse us..." As I grabbed Tidus's arm & made to pull him free from his "adoring public", I actually got a tug of my own. In surprise, I looked down & saw a little girl look up at me, with a pink blitzball in her hand.

"M-mister Rioshin, c-could you sign my ball, please?" For a moment I stood speechless, so Tidus spoke for me. "He'd _love _to kiddo. Wouldn't you Rio?" I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, while he put his arm around my shoulder & smiled at me with that goofy grin of his.

Knowing I was trapped, I sighed, bent down on my haunches & met the child at eye level. "& who would I make this out to, sweetheart?" "To my mommy & daddy &... me." Something about this kid struck me as nostalgic.

I realized that she reminded me of myself when I was her age. So I asked her, "What's your name?""Sh-Sharla. I-I'm a big f-fan of yours. I wanna be a g-goalie just like you s-someday!" I blinked again in surprise, not knowing there were people out there who loved goalies so much.

The only reason I didn't become a more offensive player was because I didn't want the extra fan base like Tidus did. Sometimes I preferred my solitude. "Well Sharla, I hope that you become an even better goalie than I am. And just know, no matter what any one tells you, you can be whatever you wish to be.... & you can write your story in any way you want.. you choose how it ends."

As soon as I said those words, it felt like Auron was speaking through me, & I immediately stopped myself. _Why did I just say that? _The girl had a shocked look on her face. Then, she blushed & nodded her head. "I'll never forget that, Rioshin... thank you, thank you so much!"

She then rushed forward & wrapped her arms around my waist. _Well, this is a bit awkward_, I thought, & looked at Tidus for a silent plea to help. He chuckled & gestured to the throng of ladies around him, & I noted that his situation was much worse. I'm really not used to this whole idol-worship thing, this is pretty boy's department.

But still... It wasn't too bad either.. I had to admit. I looked at my watch & noticed that we only had 6 minutes till game time! We really needed to get a move on. So I gently pulled myself away from the little girl, & quickly signed her ball & gave it to her.

She then did another surprising thing: she kissed me on the cheek. Now it was my turn to blush. _Sheesh, how the _heck_ do you do this every day Tidus?!_ Thankfully the little tyke chose to run home at that moment. I got to Tidus, successfully this time, & dragged him away from the star-struck mob.

"We reeeally need to go this time, we've only got 5 minutes left!" We both sprinted down the bridge to get to the stadium. On the way, we heard Zanar over the city speakers talking about the day that our fathers vanished off the coast of Zanarkand.

"Is it just me, or does he have a much deeper voice for someone who's only a little older than us?" "Heh, no Tidus, I think that's just you." We slowed down a little when we saw the infamous holo-posters of Jecht & Shinar glowing above us. "Hmph!" We looked at each other & smiled. Tonight was the night we would show the world that the sons would surpass the fathers.

We both turned back to the pictures, put up our middle fingers, & shoved them in the air so they could see. Laughing, we ran even faster towards the stadium, mentally preparing ourselves for the task at hand. We got to the stadium entrance a minute later, & stopped in our tracks.

Before us, stood the multitude of blitzball fans, perhaps the biggest we had ever seen in the 3 years we had been on the team! We were already a little winded from running all the way here, but we had a game plan ready. We had discussed it at length earlier on in the day.

I would run straight down the middle, while Tidus would be right behind me, running at a slightly slower pace. The die-hard fans would run around me to get to Tidus, inadvertently making a path for us to get to the steps. And by the time the crowd realized what we were doing, we would already be at the entrance. It was pure genius! But hopefully the people would be that gullible.

"Ready for Operation: Power Forward Tidus?" "Ready when you are, Rio!" "Okay. Ready, set, GGGGOOOOOOOO!!!" We ran like ninjas to the entrance, hands grabbing & pulling at our clothes, but we shrugged them off & kept moving. If we faltered for even a moment, we would be swallowed by the crowd that threatened to become a mosh-pit.

At the bottom of the steps we leaped as high as we could, which was pretty damn high mind you. The heavier gravity in the sphere pool where we train is accountable for that. We somersaulted in the air to go even higher, then flipped around so we would land crouched, facing our audience.

"SEE YOU INSIDE," we shouted, & bowed to our faithful Abes fans. Everyone cheered as we gave each other high fives & dashed into the stadium. Unbeknown to everyone at the stadium, a small bulge began to form, seeming to come from the sky itself.

A large, dark presence began to take shape from that bulge, & the only one who saw it was Auron, naturally.

"So Jecht, you finally appear," he said, taking a drink from the hip flask he had on his belt. "You always did show up at unpredictable times..." A warped, slightly jovial voice replied, " _Well, under the circumstances, I'd say I'm just in time to see my boy play! I can hold.... this thing inside me for a little while_._ So... how are they... are they well off?"_

Auron gave a sad smile. "As well as can be expected. The two of them are like brothers. They have always looked after each other. There wasn't much I needed to do really.. they took care of themselves for the most part." Sounding releived, the voice said, _"That's good. very good. I... urk... I wish ... things could be different. But then... what i did... what we did.. to get here. Well, I can't regret that. In truth, I would do it again if i had the choice." "_As would I Jecht. As would... I."

Suddenly Auron took out his blade & struck the ground with it. "Damnit! If only I... if only I had been stronger, I could've-" _"Stop it Auron! There's nothing more you could have done! How do you think I feel?! Being this... creature... At least you can still change things. Don't lose sight of that! Don't.... Guh... Its.. I can't hold it.. much longer... Grrrrr.. Its... almost time. You know what to do.. right?_" "Yes."

_"Well then... I guess you'd better head down to them. I can't stop myself from attacking but... I can make it so at least they'll survive_._ At any rate, you'd better hurry." _Auron began to make his way down to the stadium when the ghostly voice of Jecht spoke once more to his old friend & fellow guardian. _"Auron.. tell my boy.. that I love him. & tell Rio.. that Shinar loves him too.. wherever he is... guh.. ggrrrr... **GGGRRRRAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!**_" Then the first shots were fired into the stadium. I guess this is around the part where _our stories...._ begin.

well, thats it for this one! pretty good cliffhanger i hope? I'm gonna try & do a chapter a day here so, it won't be long till the next 1! So how'd I do? please let me know! thanks!


	3. Chapter 3 It Begins

Chapter 3 It Begins...

Hey everyone! this chapter is more than twice as long as the last one, so enjoy! I put my_ soul_ into it! & no, I don't own Final Fantasy, so please don't sue me! Cuz I a'nt got no money for no lawyah!

All was quiet. Only soft breathing could be heard, coming from me & my partner as we sat in the darkness of the enclosure, waiting for the game to start. "So," sighed Tidus, leaning his head against the wall, eyes closed, a bead of sweat running down his face. "That was a helluva show we gave 'em outside, wasn't it?" I chuckled as I brushed a few strands of hair out of my eyes.

"That'll be nothing compared to the show you're gonna give 'em out there on the sphere!" "Hey, c'mon Rio! Its just as much your show as it is mine! Ya gotta quit bein' so modest all the time..." Tidus stood up so he could lay his hands on my shoulders. "Look at me man. Listen. This is for both of us, you got it? I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you. Take a little credit!"

I stood against the wall with my arms folded, & looked at my friend with a lop-sided grin. "Alright. I guess I will, since you are the best damn forward in the league under my tutelage.." Then I proceeded to wrap Tidus in a headlock & give him a noogie. "You better be grateful to me pretty boy! & you better not screw up either! You know what we got ridin' on this victory right?!" "Gaahhh!!! Of.. course I do! You just... make sure ... you don't... get distracted.. by the... pretty girls... ack!"

I let go of the coughing blitzer as I laughed at the remark. "Hey, I can't help it! I've got a weakness for brunettes sometimes, especially the shy ones!" Still rubbing his neck, Tidus grinned widely. "Now that's the kinda stuff I wanna see you do & say more often! Glad I'm finally starting to rub off on you.. I was afraid you'd become a stoic hard ass like Auron. Y'know, come to think of it.. you've been spending more time with him recently since we saw him last. Guess you really love your swordplay huh?"

When Tidus mentioned Auron, that reminded me of our brief meeting earlier, & I felt I needed to say something. "Actually Tidus, I saw him before we left for the stadium.." Tidus stared at me wide-eyed. "You did?! Why didn't you say something?" "I was going to, but you were.. y'know, busy at the moment..." "Come on man, I could be never be too busy for-" But our conversation was drowned out by the sudden snap of the lights being switched on, followed by the roar of screaming fans.

We looked at each other & silently promised to finish this conversation... If we even remembered after the trophy was handed out! Smirking, we walked out of the hall & into the arena, which was suspended in the air by hovering machines. Along the sides & far in the front were the seats, filled to the brim with already screaming fans, who practically went crazy when we stepped into the light.

Our whole team, the soon to be legendary Zanarkand Abes- were showered with tumultuous praise from nearly the entire audience. We all stood there, taking it all in.. but Tidus seemed to grow... how do I put it? More... mature, more... "stoic" as he claimed that I was. He surveyed the crowd as if he was leading them.. like they were more than just his fans... like they were his people.. & he was their... _guardian?_

I watched him with my arms folded & gave him an approving nod. "So, I whispered, so only he could hear. "Whose rubbing off on who now huh?" Tidus blinked, then looked at me with that stupid grin again. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Hey, c'mon.. Y'know I gotta look cool for my fans right?" With a knowing grin of my own, I surveyed the charging sphere pool in the center of the stadium.

I had a feeling then... when the charged flashed, and everyone but the two of us looking away, that our destinies would begin to unfold from here. Our non-flinching gaze into the blinding light showed our resolve to take whatever new life would come for us this night.. And we had no idea.. that nothing would ever be the same again. What was coming would never happen to anyone in a normal existence ...

The game was underway, & we were currently pummeling the Duggles from C-South like they were a snotty nosed kid that owed us lunch money! 20 minutes in, & the score was 5-0, kinda one-sided right? I made sure, no matter how close anyone got to the goal, that absolutely nothing got through. I was practically getting bored by this point, when another lackluster shot came my way.

I feigned a yawn as I lazily caught it with my chest, then as it bounced off, I quickly flipped upside-down to give it a cloaked cartwheel kick, so named, because the kick was so fast that it made the blitzball invisible to the naked eye as it zoomed down the field, knocking out any unsuspecting Duggles that happened to be in its way. Tidus, of course, was the only one who could catch it. Even so, he looked at me with astonished glee as he tossed the ball up as hard as he could.

Tidus arched an eyebrow as if to ask me, _Should I knock 'em dead?_ I gave an evil smirk that said, _What the hell, might as well. We got this in the bag, send 'em out with a bang!_ Returning the evil grin, he quickly sank to the bottom of the sphere pool, crouched low, then shot up from the floor like a rocket after the ball, which had just broken through the water.

The remaining Duggles watched on in horror & dismay, my teamates & I watched with knowing smugness, & the croud all held their breath in anticipation, never seeing this from the young star before. Time seemed to slow down as Tidus broke through the water, all eyes were on him.

Dawning comprehension began to show on everyone's face... He was going to do the legendary Jecht Shot, the very move that won title after title with said blitzer over 10 years ago, having never been attempted since.... untill now. I searched Tidus's face, looking for the expected smile of accomplished pride, only to find a look of.. confusion? I quickly looked in the direction he was facing... & my jaw dropped.

It seemed as if a massive sphere pool was advancing toward the stadium, floating in the .. air? But that was nothing compared to what was inside of it. A huge, hulking.. shapless.. _thing_ was incased inside.. like the sphere was its.. _vessel?_ _What the hell is that thing,_ I wondered, which I 'm sure was Tidus's thought too.

Unfortunately, what happened next was even more unexpected than this weird sight. The front of the giant sphere began to ripple in several places, before releasing what looked like... missiles, & they were aimed at the stadium! _Oh shit. We were under attack! _I tried to scream at everyone to move out of the way, but my voice didn't carry well in the pool, & it was too late. The missles hit us dead on, shattering the stadium on impact.

Naturally, the sphere pool would go next, so I quickly dove to the bottom of it, & crouched low like Tidus did. I shot up out of the sphere pool before the water began to succumb to gravity & suck me down with it. I rose up just as Tidus began to fall, & caught him in my arms with split second timing.

" Hey what th- Rio! Oh shit man, did you see what happened to the-" "I know! I was just in it!" "But what are we gonna do now? I mean, don't get me wrong, thanks for catching me but, we're both gonna fall eventually!" I sighed as we began our descent to the ground, thankful that a wall was just behind me. "I know, that's what I'm hoping for.. hold on!"

I quickly ran down the wall as fast as I could, still holding Tidus over my shoulder. Since the pull of gravity was so strong, Tidus was practically weightless as I sprinted down. Once the ground was close enough, I jumped off the wall & landed in a crouch. Still slung over my shoulder, Tidus whooped. "Whoa, that was awesome! You have sooo gotta teach me that!"

Panting, I stood up, chuckling. "Yeah well, If you had payed more attention while Auron was teaching us about momentum & gravity, maybe you could've done this too. Okay, ride's over!" I playfully threw him off me in mock disgust as he toppled to the floor. "Ow! you coulda set me down a little softer y'know! Sheesh!" I laughed as he flipped himself into an upright standing position, a mock hurt expression on his face. I tilted my head & folded my arms, glancing upwards.

"So you woulda prefered the 'watermelon smash' drop? that could easily be arranged, you know." Pretty boy quickly put up his hands and shook his head. "Oh no! I think the shoulder drop was.. pretty good! Thanks anyway!" "Impressive." We both turned as one and saw.. you guessed it, Auron leaning against a cracked wall just behind us.

_Should've known he would_ _be calm in the midst of chaos, _I thought, as we both ran to him, careful not to bump into screaming pedestrians along the way. "Auron?!" "What are you doing here?" "Waiting for you. Though I didn't expect to see you both this soon, under the circumstances." He nodded to me & I felt a small swell of pride. Its not often that Auron gives his approval, but when he does, that makes it all the more valuable.

Tidus made a slashing gesture with his arm & said, "What are talking about? Waiting for us.. why?" I turned to Auron with an eyebrow raised, but he only chuckled & started to walk away, gesturing for us to follow him. Tidus & I looked at each other, then ran after our mentor, wondering what this was all about. We ran down the bridge, surprised how fast Auron was, despite how slow he looked. Then I remembered how swift he was when we trained together, & mentally kicked myself for forgetting.

"Hey, Tidus!," I said, as we ran back towards the bridge. "Remember when I told you that I saw Auron before the game?" "Yeah, what about it?" "Well, when we spoke, he said something about.. 'our stories.'" Tidus looked confused. "Our stories? Hmm, sounds like something Auron would say. But what did he mean by it?"

"Your guess is as good as mine bro. Unless.... This! What's happening now! Do you think that's what he's getting at?" Tidus's eybrows shot up into his hair at this new thought. "Hey... you might just have something there! Leave it to you to figure out cryptic stuff like that!" I grinned at the compliment. "Thanks! You know I've got a big enough brain for both of us!" "Yeah, which makes a bigger head to grab! Yaahh! Payback bitch!" Caught completely unawares, Tidus grabbed me in the same headlock I got him with earlier, & started grinding my head with his fist. "Dahh.. you.. idiot... bad timing...get.. offa me!" _Leave it to Tidus to not take things seriously.._ I thought, as I struggled to get out of his hold. That's when I noticed something odd.

"Tidus.. c'mon.. lemme go!" "Why? So you can kick my ass? No thanks, I'm not falling for that again!" "Dude, I'm serious... time has stopped! Let me.. loose!" He finally let me go when he saw that time had indeed slowed to a crawl. Case in point, the people running for their lives were barely moving, & I don't think they'd do that by choice. We looked around for a moment, trying to find the source of this new weirdness, when Tidus suddenly touched my shoulder.

"Look, over there. Its that.. kid..." I spun around & saw.. this strange boy, that wore purple robes with a hood to cover his face. We've seen this kid before, a few times actually. Once, when we lost a game last year, & yet again just earlier on in the day. Tidus was signing autographs as usual, & I was against the wall with my arms folded as always. The kids were asking Tidus to teach them how to blitz, & the blitz star quickly informed them that he had no time. I turned away for a moment to yawn, and was about to go & get a quick nap before the game.

I was heading over to rescue Tidus from the little group, when I froze. Seemingly out of nowhere, that kid with the purple robes appeared! How does he do that, I wondered, when the kids then asked Tidus if he could teach them after the game. Tidus scratched his head & frowned. "Uh... tonight? Um.. well..." Then the kid, who's name was Bahmu, spoke for him. "He can't tonight."

Tidus looked around & barely held back a yell of fright when he saw the little boy mysteriously pop up right behind him. Given the situation, I probably would've done the same thing. Thinking Bahmu was just saving him from the extra pain of entertaining the other children, Tidus flashed him a quick, grateful smile before he turned to the little fans & said, "How about.. tomorrow?" one of the kids, a little dark-skinned boy with locks that didn't look too unlike me at 7, flashed a hopeful grin. "Promise?" "Promise!"

The three boys did the blitzer's sign for victory, then they ran off down the street, talking excitedly about their signed blitzballs & what they planned to do after the game was over. I walked over to them, shaking my head as I went. " For a little guy, you sure move quick! I need to learn how the heck you do that." Tidus chuckled as he faced Bahmu. "Me too! You charge for lessons?" Bahmu shook his head slowly, a small grin on his hooded face.

"What I do.. cannot be taught. But I appreciate the compliment." Though he was so small, an aura of great energy surrounded him.. & I couldn't begin to figure it out. Bahmu suddenly looked at me, though how I knew he was looking at me in particular struck me as odd... & a little creepy. As if knowing my thoughts, his small grin grew wider. Tidus spoke first. "So.. anyway... thanks for the save back there!" "It was no trouble. I know that you two will be... occupied.... after the game ends. I will see you both afterwards... farewell..."

With that, the purple robed kid walked away. Tidus & I exchanged meaningful glances, then looked back in Bahmu's direction.. only to find he was already gone. "Wha.." We looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "Weird kid." I shook myself back to the present in time to hear Bahmu say, "It begins." "Huh?" Comprehension dawned on my face. "You... you knew this would happen! Somehow you knew, didn't you?"

Tidus looked back between me & Bahmu, confused. "Am I missing something here?" What are you.. holy sh-! You mean, just a few hours ago? Told us we'd be 'occupied'.. Bahmu, you knew about this?!" Bahmu slowly bowed his hooded head. "All will be explained in due time. But for now.. continue to follow 'Sir' Auron. He will show you the path you must take. And... Tidus?" Tidus looked at him with uncertainty before he said two words: "Don't cry." With that, Bahmu smiled & vanished, the time freeze going with him.

We blinked for a moment as time started up again, the sound of screaming & general chaos was almost deafening to our ears as it all came back. I looked at Tidus & said, "Maybe... we shouldn't mention what we just saw to anyone else.. not even Auron." Tidus nodded in agreement. "Yeah, as if he'd beleive us anyway." Shaking our heads free of our disturbing thoughts, we continued to run down the bridge to catch up with Auron. He was standing alone at a dead-end, turning to us as we approached. "Hey! Not this way," Tidus said, breathing hard on his knees. "This is a... dead end! We've..... gotta go in the... opposite direction! Y'know, away from the explosions &... burning buildings!" Since he was on his knees, he didn't immediatley see what Auron & I were looking at.

"Hey.. why so quiet? Something wrong?" Auron motioned with his head. "Look." Tidus gaped as he saw again what we first glimpsed during the tournament. The collossal hovering sphere pool, with the... alien-looking creature inside. "what... the hell.. is that," I whispered. "We called it 'Sin'," was Auron's cryptic reply. He stared with a solemn eye at the strange floating monster. _Sin huh,_ I thought, staring in horrified wonder. _I wonder how Auron knows that... & what did he mean by 'we'?_ Tidus tore his gaze away from the eerie sight for a moment to look at us.

"'Sin'?" Auron turned to us and was about to speak, when a thumping sound to the left caught our attention. What looked like a giant squid type creature had just attached itself to the side of a building some distance away. It was black, with tentacles that, with closer inspection, appeared to have many small... scales that glowed a bright blue at different intervals. Tidus blanched as he heard the thing make squelching noises. "Where the hell did that come from?!" I turned from the new creature to stare suspiciously at the watery sphere that still floated in the sky.

"My guess is that it came from that 'Sin'-thing." Auron nodded. "Your assumption is correct. Now look closer." We did, & we saw that the squid-thing seemed to be shedding the scales from its body... & they were falling... but not straight down. "Wait..," Tidus said, as he took another half-step back. "The're not... coming this way.. are they?" "It would appear they are," I said grimly, as the aforementioned scales stabbed the ground one after another like so many daggers. But what happened next was even more disturbing.

The scales began to shake, then open into little black creatures with big mouths & spindly legs, screeching like a cross between a bird & a cricket, moving back & forth like insects, though these... 'Sinscales', were almost as big as we were. I looked sideways at Tidus, & I knew he was thinking what I was, so we both said, "We're gonna need to fight, aren't we?" Auron threw each of us our weapons. For Tidus, a Broadsword. For me, Dual Blades. "Take them," he said, as the Sinscales scampered ever closer to us. We quickly looked at each other with surprised looks on our faces.

When we sparred with Auron, we never used real weapons, just kendo sticks. We slowly picked up our respective weapons, gazing on them with awe. Before we could ask where they came from, Auron softly said, "A gift from Jecht & Shinar." "Our dad's?" Auron nodded, pulling out his own katana from its sheath, holding it in front of him with his right hand. "I hope you know how to use them." We glanced at each other & grinned. This was our chance to show what we were made of. _My first real fight,_ I thought, twirling my blades in anticipation. _At_ _last! I thought this day would never come!_

The three of us rushed forward, untill we were practically surrounded by the ugly little monsters. "These ones don't matter," said Auron, waving his large blade for emphasis. "We cut through!" "So we go for what's directly in front of us right," said Tidus, rushing forward & slashing through a Sinspawn with relative ease. Seems easy enough! Right, Rio?" "Oh yeah," I replied, using my two blades to slice an offending Sinspawn into four parts of slimy flesh. "A bit too easy if you ask me!"

Auron ran forward & in a quick flash he seemed to go right through his Sinspawn which, a moment later, slid into two neat pieces before hitting the ground. Tidus whistled. "Damn! looks like I've got a looong way to go before I can do that!" We didn't call Auron a veteran for nothing.. We continued to hack & slash our way through untill we created a generally clear path. Unfortunately, we didn't get too far before the squid-creature shot more scales our way, hindering our progress.

"Man," sighed Tidus, as he sliced a Sinspawn trying to sneak up behind him. How many of these things are there?" "I dunno," I replied, after stabbing two monsters through on either side with both arms. "Can we fight off all of them?" Auron shook his head as he used an upward slash to cut through one Sinscale, then drove his blade forward & impaled another. "There is no point. Just cut the ones that matter & keep running!"

After a few more minutes of mowing down scales, we ran untill we reached an uprising on the broken road. That's when we felt the first vibration. The small tremor meant one of two things. Either an explosion.. or something... something big... landed up ahead of us. We all shared glances of foreboding as we ran up the arch of broken road. What we saw there confirmed our worst suspicions. Something big did land ahead of us. It was the squid-thing that looked exactly like the one we saw on the building behind us.. And it looked so much bigger up close!

And of course, it was surrounded protectivley by more of those annoying Sinscales.... The three of us stared at the sight for a moment, I wondered _how in the hell were we supposed to take down something like that?!_ Seeing Tidus's knees shaking slightly like that, I figure he was thinking along those same lines. Auron however, ran on without us, seemed like he was looking to take on that freakish armada by himself.

"Hey wait! Auron!" Tidus put out his hand.. but to no avail. I sighed & shook my head. "Man, this is crazy. Is he trying to get himself killed?" "I dunno, but we can't just let him fight alone like that..." I breathed in deeply to banish my fears, then exhaled. I took out my blades, slashed them in front of me, and said, "Well, If he's crazy enough to take on that army, then I guess I can be crazy enough to join him." Tidus gave a grim smile & held out his own sword. "Heh, well I'd have to be pretty crazy not to join in on the fun!" We looked at each other & narrowed our eyes. "Well, ready to get crazy?" Hell yeah!"

We ran down the little road-hill screaming our respective battle cries as we joined Auron on either side. We felt a sudden burst of power as we faced our first big foe, the big squid creature that is called: Sinspawn Ammes. The power that coursed through us was the first time we used our hidden potential.. in other words.. our overdrives. Though we were vastly outnumbered, we no longer cared in the slightest. We knew no matter how impossible the situation was, we had to succeed, & we knew we could.

"**Get outta my town**," yelled Tidus, as he ran through one Sinscale, & promptly cut off another's head. "**Some can't wait to die**," roared Auron as he swung his blade in a vertical sweep, cutting three scales asunder. "**None will escape my wrath**," I cried, as I slaughtered two scales with each blade, leaving the path clear for us to reach Ammes itself. The long black tail whipped about quickly as the air around it began to warp & undulate.

"What's it doing," Tidus wondered, as the air began to pulse more quickly. Then I remembered reading one of the many books Auron kept in his study, particularly one about black magic. It told of a magic that caused the air to pulsate & finally change surroundings momentarily into that of a negative photograph, leaving foes drained of a fourth of their strength.. It was called... "Shit! its gonna use Demi, a high caliber black magic that drains a fourth of our health!" "What?!" "Brace yourselves everyone!" The dark power of Demi washed over us, taking a shred of our health in its wake.

But had we been unprepared, we would have lost much more. "Well done you two," said Auron, as we went back into our battle stances. "Now is our chance to strike! Allow me to demonstrate!" Using the power of his overdrive, Auron jumped high into the air, pointing his blade down. On his decent he cried: "**Bushido! Dragon Fang!**" He stabbed the ground with his blade, & a bright light grew out from around the blade's contact with the ground. Then, an even brighter light grew from under Sinspawn Ammes, which promptly exploded, destroying a few of its sinister tentacles.

"Nice," exclaimed Tidus, looking on our mentor with a renewed respect. "But its my turn now! **Swordplay! Spiral Cut!**" Tidus did a double backflip, building momentum untill he came down with his sword, leaving a deep gash in the weakened Sinspawn, causing a few more tentacles to fade away.

"You two were awesome," I whooped, twirling my blades from side to side. "And now, time for the grand finale! **Bladerunner! Dual Sickle!**" I ran up to the monster, jumped into the air, & twirled sideways, slicing in a circular motion through the whole length of Ammes like a knife through butter, before landing with a crouch on the ground. As the last of its tentacles faded away, the Sinspawn shriveled & died.. turning into the pyreflies from whence it came.

Tidus & I whooped over our glorious victory! We were high fiving, cheering, all other such craziness untill Auron brought us back to our senses. "Keep alert you two. We are far from finished." "Ahem.. uh, right, my bad!" "Guess we kinda got carried away!" The three of us ran around the now statuesque form of Ammes as we continued to cross the Sinscale-infested bridge. As we ran, we looked to the side & saw the holo-posters of Jecht & Shinar blinking in & out, though to us it seemed like they were mocking our plight. We both sneered at the fizzling pictures & said, "What the hell are you laughing at?!" We thrust up our middle fingers again as we passed by.

Auron stopped for a moment, staring off into the distance. We both caught up to him & Tidus said, "Hey Auron, let's get outta here!" Auron shook his head & said softly, "We're expected." "Huh?" Auron ran on, heading in what seemed like another dangerous direction. I slid my hand down my face in exasperation as Tidus exclaimed, "Give us a break man!" I sighed & put my hand on my friend's shoulder. "Well, I guess we gotta see this thing all the way through, right?" Tidus nodded tiredly. "Yeah.. c'mon Rio, let's get whatever this is over with."

Determined to finish this thing, we ran on yet again with our seemingly tireless mentor to face more hordes of the ever-present Sinscales. We ran untill we were hemmed in on both sides by the relentless monsters. We fought for what seemed like hours, but for each one that fell, there was another to take its place. "Hey, I guess there are too many now to tell which ones 'matter' huh," Tidus said, as he narrowly dodged a spines attack from a Sinscale on his left. "You got that right," I said, as I took out a scale that tried to eat my right leg by stabbing it into the ground. "Hmph. This could be bad.." "Naw Auron, ya think?!" "There's gotta be something we can do to even the odds.. but what?"

Auron saw it first. One of the batteries that powered the bridge was rotating by its electric charge. It was within reach... "That," he pointed, alerting us to the battery. "Knock it down!" "What?" "Trust me. You'll see." Figuring Auron knew what he was talking about this time, we directed most of our attacks on it, untill... **BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!! **The said battery fell, then exploded, causing the building with our fathers holo-posters on it to fall.. straight on the bridge we were on! We were able to get clear just in time, as the building fell, destroying most of our scaley friends, thankfully!

But, since the bridge could no longer stand the constant abuse, it began to fall apart. And we just happened to be on the side of the bridge that was falling off... just great huh? We crouched low, bending our knees, preparing for the biggest race we ever ran.. & the prize? Our lives of course! We looked at each other, nodded, then started the countdown. "Ready." "Set." **Go!**" We ran as fast as we could, Tidus, Auron, & I. Explosions rang around us, buildings crumbled, parts of the bridge rose & sank, but that wouldn't stop us. If we lost focus, tripped, or fell behind in any way,we were dead, it was that simple. Then came the huge gap.

Using the strength in our legs, we made the leap of faith, we practically flew across the empty space, & I thought I saw.. the insignia that hung around Tidus's necklace... Except it was bigger, & blurred.. & there was fire behind it...We both managed to grab the edge of the broken bridge, holding on for dear life as we fell... up?

_This doesn't make sense,_ I thought, & I saw Auron standing there, looking as calm as can be.. while the world around us was crumbling into oblivion... Typical Auron.. that's when I saw the sphere floating over us... No... _Sin_.. & this hole opened up at the bottom of the sphere, & began to... suck us up towards it. As if from another world I saw Tidus screaming, _"Auron_! _AURRROOONN!"_

I looked at Auron, who was looking up at... Sin.. It seemed like he asked it something.. something like.... _"You are sure?"_ Then he looked down at us, seemed his mind was made up about something... then he reached down... & picked us up by the collars.

Tidus with his right, & me with his left. He set me down on the bridge next to him, & I immediately fell to the ground on my knees. My head hurt, my limbs felt... too far from my body.... Blackness was creeping around the edges of my vision.. but I fought to hold my head up to see what the hell was going on. Auron was still holding Tidus by the collar, & was saying something to him. I used every ounce of my will to focus on the conversation.

Auron said, _"This is it."_ He turned to me as well, speaking to us both now. _"These are your stories."_ Tidus & I looked at each other, fear evident in our eyes. He reached a hand out to me, & mouthed my full name.. _"Rioshin..." "T-Tidus.."_ I struggled to reach my hand out.. to at least touch him.. but I only succeeded in falling flat on the ground. I tried to move... but my body wouldn't listen... _what the fuck is wrong with me?!_ All I could do was hold up my head, & I heard Auron say,_"It all begins here.."_ I heard Tidus scream, & then his body was gone, just like that. The closest thing I had to family, my friend, my... brother... _No... NO!_ _I won't let anyone else be taken fom me again! like... Mother.._ As the last of my vision began to fade away, I saw Auron bend over me... & I heard him say.... _"And you Rioshin... will begin your story... with me...._" & I knew no more.

OH GOD YESSSSS!!!!!! best chapter evah! Reveiw me & give me any ideas of what Auron should do with Rioshin! This will cover Auron's long absence untill he is seen at Luca. Don't know if I'll make any this long for a while tho.... let me know what you think guyz! Sorry for another cliffhanger but.... I gotta be that... damn.. good. Ciao!


	4. Chapter 4 Unforgivable

Hey everyone, this is my fourth chapter! its a bit short I know.. but this chapter is meant to explain a little about Rioshin's backstory. Even though this chapter is short, its very dark compared to the others. Hope you like it! Oh, & I don't own Final Fantasy so don't sue me! Thanks!

Chapter 4 Unforgivable

"Happy Birthday Rioshin!".... "Now.. make a wish!" "It's all right, everything I could ever wish for has already happened! But.. If you insist..." Whooosh! Everyone clapped & cheered, especially my mother & Tidus! I had just turned 16, & my best friend had just been named the captain of the Zanarkand Abes! It was a joyous day for everyone, Even Auron, who always kept a slight distance from everyone, couldn't help but give a small grin at the festivities.

We played "Beat the Blitzball" until candy came out, though it would be our last year playing this game, since we were getting a bit too old for it, since it only took one hit to break the ball. After the games ended, Tidus & I walked on the grass around my home, kicking rocks. "So," I said, walking with my hands in my pockets, slightly chilled from the winter weather. " Think you got what it takes to lead our team to victory next year during the memorial tournament?"

Tidus sighed & shook his head. "I dunno Rio.... I mean.... that loss we took last year.." "Aw c'mon man, you've gotta let that go. Everyone else has forgotten about that, why can't you?" "Yeah but, me.. a team captain? We both know that should have been you.." I stopped & faced him. "Dude, stop it, alright? You are gonna make a great, team captain! I know this was what you always wanted, & you've earned it!"

Tidus looked at me with a little uncertainty. "Really? You really think so?" I placed my hands on my friend's shoulders & squeezed them. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it. Now c'mon, I bet my mom saved some extra ice cream for us before we head out to the sphere pool, let's go!" So we ran to my mom's house & opened the door. "Hey mom, do you still have... so... uh.."

Tidus & I just stared when we saw the most unbelievable thing happen. Auron & my mom.. who's name was Raylia.. were kissing in the doorway. When they noticed us staring, they quickly jumped apart, their cheeks red as they began fumbling for excuses. "My apologies! I was just.. I .. Your mother & I were.." "Rioshin.. honey.. I was going to say something but..." Tidus & I looked at each other, wide-eyed. For a moment, nobody moved or spoke.

Then, I smirked, grinned, & began to laugh. "Hahahahahahahh! This is.. totally awesome! Like.. to have you as a father, that would mean Tidus would live with us, then.." I grabbed Tidus in a headlock & gave him the first of many noogies that were to come. "This blond kid right here would be like... my brother!" The two adults chuckled nervously at first, then we all ended up laughing into the midday sun outside.

My mom stayed behind at the house while Auron, Tidus & I went to the stadium to have an exhibition game for my birthday. After the game was over, which lasted a full 6 hours, we all came out sore & tired, but happy as ever. Even Auron played with us a little, though we had a little too much fun battering him with blitzballs since he was the goalie! After we said our goodbyes to the other kids, Tidus, Auron & I started to walk back towards our houses.

Tidus & I chattered on about different plays & techniques we would use for next year's tournament. Auron on the other hand, just walked silently along, seeming to be lost in thought as always.. the strong silent type. We reached the fork in the road where Tidus & Auron would go one way, while I would continue straight on to my house. But before we went our separate ways, Auron turned to me & said.. "Rioshin... tell your mother... that I would... like to see her again sometime..." Tidus & I gave a knowing grin & I said, I'd be honored to deliver the message... Pops. See ya!"

I ran down the road leaving Auron sputtering & Tidus laughing his head off. I was so caught up in my joy that I didn't notice black smoke coming from my house's direction, I smelled it first, then I heard it. Fire, I thought, starting to feel a twinge of worry. Where could that be coming from? I hope its not from.. Then I finally saw it, our house was covered in angry flames. The fire reflected in my eyes as I only thought of one thing. _Mother!_ I started forward, & I felt someone holding me back. "Hey kid, where do you think you're going?!" "My mother's in there! Lemme go!" "No! Its too dangerous, & anyway, she may already be.."

I turned to the person then, unbridled fury in my eyes. I dimly noted the man's appearance, he was wearing all black, with dark glasses covering his eyes. "Don't you _dare_ tell me she's dead! I refuse to accept that! Now, unhand me, or I'll _make you_." At that, the dark-clothed man released me from his grip as I ran to the house. The door was still intact, but it was too hot to open. So I took a few steps back, then drop-kicked the door, knocking it off its hinges. Inside, our once calm & peaceful home looked like it got an Extreme Makeover.. from Hell!

Fire was ablaze throughout the apartment, but it wasn't so bad yet that I couldn't move or see, it was mostly licking the walls & anything on the side of the house. That's when I heard a scream. "MOM! MOM WHERE ARE YOU?!" I heard the scream again, & it seemed to be coming from the right side of the house, where my mother's bedroom was. Wasting no time, I quickly ran to the bedroom, dodging a flaming piece of debris along the way. I came to the door, which appeared to be locked. I stepped back & prepared to kick it down as I called out, "MOM! I'M COMING IN! I'LL GET YOU OUTTA HERE!" I jumped at the door, just as I heard my mother's voice call out: "No Rioshin! Don't come in!" But it was too late.

I came through the door to see a horrifying sight... My mother was being held by her throat against the wall by an assailant that looked just like... "You.... you were just outside.... how did you.." The dark-clothed figure turned to me & gave me a grin.. a grin full of sharp long teeth. "Heh, you must've seen my clone outside. If you hadn't interfered, this wouldn't have turned out so badly." "What... what are you talking about? Who are you?" The dark man gave a mock-hurt look. "You don't recognize me? Well, I guess I am a little.. overdressed." While still holding my mother with his right hand, he reached up to take off his shades. My mother squirmed in her would-be assassin's grip. "Wait, please! Don't show him.." "I think its a bit too late for that... Mother.."

"What... mother... I don't.." I looked to the man as he threw his shades to the floor, looked at me.. & said.. "Why, little bro.. its me! Shingnay...Mom & Dad never told you about me?" His eyes were a brown color, just like mine... but they quickly changed to yellow, while the whites in his eyes turned black. "Don't worry lil' buddy.. when the hunger begins to grow in you.. the hunger to kill.. you will understand... why I must do this.... Since Father is gone.. it has to be you.... Mother.. "

Shingnay then plunged his hand into my mother's chest as I ran forward. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! " Shingnay jumped out the back window as my mother crumpled to the ground, I ran to her & caught her in my arms as she fell. "She looked at me, trying to speak as blood dripped from her mouth. "I... I'm so sorry to keep this from you.... Rioshin... I... started this fire... so that I could cover up... my death.." Tears began to fall from my eyes as I cradled her head. The fire began to slowly creep toward us, but I didn't care at the moment. As long as I was with my mother, nothing else mattered.

She continued on to say, "Shingnay... is your... older brother. He was born.. ten years before... you were. When he was 5 years old... he was attacked by a fiend. It was called... an over-soul. Your father... defeated it before it struck the final blow but...." my mother coughed up more blood & began to breathe faster. "It began to .. fester inside of him.... until one day.. he disappeared, in a plume of purple aura... we didn't see him again until you were first born.. we were heartbroken... & we hoped to forget our sorrow when we had you.. We had moved to Zanarkand... & vowed to start a new life.. but... he found us..."

My mother coughed again weakly, & her eyes fluttered. "Mom, please, don't say anymore! Let me get us outta here, then-" "N-no! There isn't time! Listen to me! He will come for you, he'll infect you with it.. you must escape! When he came to us 16 years ago... he said... he would turn you... into what he is.. He would come for you when he deemed you were.. old enough! P-please! Leave me & get away from here!" "No! I won't leave you, I won't let him-" "You won't let me what?"

I turned just in time to see a hand grab my throat, holding me effortlessly in the air as my mother screamed for me, pleading with my deranged brother to let me go. "Let him go? Sorry, I can't do that. This is revenge, my dear mother, revenge for your incompetence, for letting this happen to me! I suffered 21 long years because of your mistake! I will make you & Father suffer dearly for what you have done! It was unforgivable! Believe me Mother, you have the softest part of this... May you now rest in peace.."

Shingnay reached down & with his other hand.. appeared to cradle my sobbing mother before snapping her neck. As she fell lifeless to the floor, I remembered all of the times my mother & I were together, the times we laughed, the times we sat at home reading with my head in her lap... when she came to my first blitzball game, her cheering for me in the stands... I barely felt myself being thrown out of the burning house, landing on my back a few meters away.

_She's.. gone... she's really gone... & I could do nothing... to protect her..._ I began to shake as my older brother advanced on me. I barely heard him say, "Its a damn shame you had to see that, but well, such is life. Heh, I wouldn't know much about that, 'cuz I can neither live.. or die.. but you will find out soon enough...." "Sh... shut up.." "What?"

An unbelievable amount of energy flowed through me as I began to rise off the floor. The air around me began to flow outwards as I rose to my feet. I faced my tormentor with glowing blue eyes. " You... took the one I love... away from me.. I will.. make you... pay.. I WILL KILL YOU!" I shot forward in my rage before Shingnay could react, & slammed him full on in the face. Before he could fly back too far I appeared just behind him & punched him in the back. The resulting force caused him to crash straight into a nearby tree, destroying it on impact.

Thinking I had won, my rage subsided & I began to breathe heavily. That's when the house exploded just behind me. Cursing, I shielded my eyes as our home disintegrated into ashes.. with my mother inside it. That's when I felt a sharp, hot pain go through my back & out through my chest. I choked as blood began to come out of my own mouth. I looked down to see a claw protruding from my chest, & I heard a warped, dark voice behind me say, _"Yessss... Now you will be infected with this curse... & as your hate for me grows.. so will your hunger.. & your power.... Soon you will be consumed with hatred as I was, & you will kill the ones you once loved... You will become a Heldrac, just like me... AHHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHH!!!!!!......."_

"NOOOOOOO!!!!" I screamed out loud as I awoke, feeling a fire close to me, I immediately began to try & stomp it out. It wasn't until I felt someone grab me around the middle & slam me to the ground that I stopped. "Calm yourself Rioshin! It was only a nightmare!" My wild eyes danced feverishly until I saw Auron, & then I relaxed. "Auron... my mother... she... I couldn't.." Auron did something very uncharacteristic. He put his arms around my shoulders & held me as I bawled my eyes out. "Its okay son... don't worry. I'm here, I know. I'm still... sorry that I didn't show up sooner.... "

He held me like that for a few minutes, until I pulled away from him & sat near the slightly smaller campfire. "How long have I been..." "Just for a few hours. Sin dropped us off here while Tidus was carried to another island not too far from here.. "Wait... Sin... Tidus.." Then it all came back to me. Our blitzball game, The sinspawn, Sin itself.... Tidus disappearing.. I turned to Auron with a wild look in my eyes just as Auron began to speak.

"I know what you are thinking. Tidus is alive & well. He should be in Besaid by now, if my hunch is correct." "But how do you know that?! How do you know this Sin hasn't... y'know, eaten him or something?! "Because Sin Is more than what you think. I looked at Auron with a skeptical look. "I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me. What do you know about this Sin? Ho did you know what it was ? Tell me!" Auron sighed & looked me in the face with his good eye. "Alright. I didn't think you would be ready to hear all of this now.. but I will tell you.. I will tell you everything..."

So, what did you think? Was it good? Well, leave comments for me about ideas for the next chappy! Thanks & keep reading!


	5. Chapter 5 Training

Hey everyone! I apologize for 2 things! 1, for taking so long to update &, 2 for it being so darn short! sigh... I promise I'll make up for it in the next chapter though! so hang in there my loyal fans! chapter six will be long & awesome! yeah, & I don't own final fantasy or any of the characters! so don't sue me! I don't even have a job yet! lol

Chapter 5 Training

During the next hour and a half Auron explained everything about the world of Spira, Sin, and the Summoners who fought against it. I listened intently, taking in as much as I could. When he got to the part about Sin coming back every 10 years, I stopped him.

"So let me get this straight," I said, as I began to restlessly pace in the cave. " The Summoners and their guardians go through all this trouble and sacrifice... just for this thing to come back 10 years later? Isn't there some way to get rid of it permanently? Oh... well if there was, guess you would have found it by now huh?"

Auron nodded gravely. "As long as the people have ... 'hope', they will continue to fight. But hope is not enough for this. We must find a permanent solution to the problem as you said." Auron stood up and looked Rioshin square in the eyes.

"There is something in this cave that I must show you. It is the reason I have brought you here. But before we go, there is something I must ask you." I knew from the way he looked at me now that this was uncharted territory I was entering. Slightly apprehensive, I nodded.

"How far are you willing to go for those you care about?" My eyes widened at the question, & for a brief moment I saw the images of my mother, Tidus, and Auron flash before my eyes. I closed them for a moment, & opened them with feirce determination. "I'm willing to do anything!" Auron's eye narrowed. "Even if that meant sacrificing yourself." I nodded gravely. "Yes."

Auron gave a grim smile. "Very well. Follow me."

I followed Auron to the back of the cave, where a nearly faded symbol of little white flecks was shown spreading out in different directions. Auron pressed a hand into his chest, & those same white flecks spread out from him! Without turning around, Auron explained.

"These are pyreflies. There is still not much known about them in Spira, but they seem to have a connection... to just about everything." Something about the way they moved and the hollow noise they seemed to make was eerie, and somehow... familiar. Though not sure I wanted to know, I began to ask when Auron beat me to it.

"You want to know why I have them? I am sorry but, I cannot tell you that just yet. But if you are willing to wait, I will make sure you are the first to know."

I nodded, satisfied with his answer, when the wall with the symbol began to glow brightly. The pyreflies began to swirl around Auron faster and faster until he was engulfed in their light. The wall's light began to spread quickly throuought the cave's wall, and began to cover the ceiling and floor as well. The light grew so bright that I could no longer tell what was up or down, or if I was even still standing on a surface. I sheilded my eyes as I began to hear many disembodied voices speaking at once.

_Let us turn back! I don't wanna see you... die!... I will see to it that our family will suffer for generations to come!.. Kimahri, you must go to Yuna... tell her... Son, please! Stop this madness! Let it end with me! Its my fault..._

I shut my eyes and covered my ears, waiting for it to stop until... there was complete and utter silence. I took down my hands and opened my eyes slowly. The cave was still all white, if you could even call it a cave. I looked around, and it seemed this new place could stretch out forever.

"What is this place," I thought aloud as I took in the seemingly endless space.

"This is the Room of Infinity," said a voice just behind me. I spun around and saw a younger man who looked alot like a ceartain samauri I knew... except there was no grey in his hair now, his jacket was completely on and closed up, both arms through the sleeves. And the biggest difference was his face. His glasses were gone, both of his eyes were intact, and his face was smoother, no stubble was visible. I struggled to speak.

"A-Auron?! Is that you?" Auron chuckled and gave a grin, which was completely uncharacteristic of him. "Surprised? This is what I looked like 10 years ago, before my... accident. I figure this form would be better for what we'll be doing here."

I slowly brought my fingers closer to my blades. "And what pray tell, would that be?"

Auron gave a sly grin as he gripped the hilt of his sword. "Need I say it?" I flipped out my twin blades and got into my fighting stance.

"I guess not. After all, it is pretty obvious what your intentions are. I've pretty much got your number now. I'm gonna beat you this time!"

Auron pulled his katana up and over his shoulder, holding it in both hands. "Whatever you say kid. Add my experience with my newfound youth and what do you get?"

I blinked once and Auron seemed to vanish. I noticed a faint breeze brush past me as I felt a sudden flash of pain in my side. "Guh!" _No way..._ I thought, as I fell wide-eyed to my knees, my blades clattering to the floor. Standing a few feet behind me, Auron calmly sheathed his sword.

"Superiority, Rioshin. I will beat that into you during our stay here. And once you can truly defeat me in combat, that's when you will face an even greater opponent." I slowly stood up, wincing as I turned to face Auron, who still had his back to me. I asked the question, fearing the answer.

"Who is my greater opponent?" Auron turned his head and glared at me with one eye. "That opponent is... you!"

OOHHH! What does Auron mean by that? How will our hero cope with this new problem? Find out on the next episode of Final Fantasy X: Final Fable... The Enemy Within!


	6. Chapter 6 The Enemy Within

Hey wuzzzup everyone! sorry for the long wait but here it is! the sixth chapter! I tried a bit harder with the action this time, hope you like it! & I disclaim all rights 2 square enix & final fantasy & its characters! DO NOT SUE ME!

Chapter 6 The Enemy Within

_"That opponent is... you!" _

I reflected on Auron's statement as I prepared to fight him, even though he hadn't brought it up again for 6 months. At least, I thought it had been that long, It was hard to be sure in that place. Auron told me that time here was infinite, and we could spend an eternity here & never age while the world outside barely aged a moment. But I do know that I had gotten stronger, much stronger. I could finally track Auron's movements, and committed most of them to memory.

We fought each other day after day, and it always ended the same way, I always fell to my knees with his blade at my throat.

At first it was so humiliating that I always lost I just wanted to quit. The only thing I could say about my improvement was that the battles lasted a little longer every time, from 1 second the first day, to 10 minutes the first week, to 1 hour the first month. It was during the second month, where the cycle first changed

. We had been fighting for 4 hours non-stop and it was a grueling battle as always. I slid my twin-blades along the ground to gain momentum as I leapt up, hoping to knock him off his feet with the force of my blow.

Anticipating this as usual, Auron merely shifted his footing so that I just missed scratching his shoulder, though my aim was his head.

"Always attack me with the intention of cutting me down", he used to say, during our brief skirmishes on Zanarkand. "It ensures that you won't hold back, and lets the opponent know that you are serious."

I knew this well, but was still unable to even mark his clothing, let alone cut him! What was I doing wrong?! Auron responded in kind to my attack with his own. Having caught me off guard, he used his free arm to elbow me in the stomach with bone-crushing force. I coughed up a little blood before the blow knocked me back several feet, my blades threatening to fly out of my hands.

I quickly flipped over to right myself in a low crouch, gripping my blades in my determined fists. _I won't let him beat me this time_, I thought, assuming my battle stance. _That didn't even hurt-_ "Urk!" I winced as the hit i took in my stomach throbbed violently. -much... Auron wasted no time and began to rush me, his katana at the ready. "Don't falter now! keep your guard up!"

I gritted my teeth & ran to meet his charge. We met at the middle, our blades clashing with teeth-rattling force. The impact almost caused me to bounce off, but I stubbornly held my ground. As our blades were locked, it was the strength we possessed that would determine victory now. I tried so hard to press him back, I was sweating and my arms shook as I struggled to hold my position. Auron on the other hand, seemed to hold me there with no effort at all, and he wasn't even pushing back yet. _Why_ I thought, as I felt my strength fade from fatigue and the stomach wound. _Why is this happening, its been 2_ _months! I should be able to withstand this stuff by now!_

Auron chose that moment to push back. He pushed his blade upward, which would normally have just pushed me back a little. but by then it was all I could do to stay upright, so I stumbled, then fell to 1 knee. I knew as soon as I fell that this match was over, I had lost yet again. Auron stood over me, regarding me with a solemn look.

"Stand Rioshin. That's all for today." My body began to shake with anger and frustration from my most recent failure. With my head still bowed, I spoke in a shaky voice.

"Why... tell me why. W-what am I doing wrong? No matter how hard I try, it always ends the same way." Auron shook his head. "No. Everyone has their own pace. Your endurance and fighting skill have improved greatly since you started."

Auron's occasional praise was nice, but it wasn't good enough this time. "But how is it after all this time fighting you, gaining skill and endurance, how does it matter if I can't even touch you? That much hasn't changed! Dammit!"

I slammed my fist into the ground, instantly regretting it as the pain from my hand and my stomach wound over whelmed me. I doubled over and barely held back the urge to vomit and pass out. I was in pain all over my body now, my fatigue catching up to me, making it near impossible to stand. I felt the beginnings of tears form in my eyes. "I hate putting my all into something... that is doomed to fail. It makes my efforts... feel like nothing. It makes me feel like nothing."

Auron bent down on 1 knee and grasped my shoulders. "Rioshin, stop that. Listen to me, your efforts are not in vain! I do not doubt that you are doing your best, I know you are. The fact that you can fight me for 4 hours straight is proof of that. Because of this, it will allow you to watch me, to learn my moves, my attack patterns, and once you understand that..."

I managed to lift my head and see Auron smile with his eyes closed (note, like in an anime when the person smiling is endearing). "You will be able to do more than just 'touch me'. Well, that's all the advice I'm offering for now. I hope you'll be more prepared tomorrow."

I wiped my eyes and watched Auron walk off. _Don't worry Auron_, I thought as I forced myself to stand and stagger to my room. _I will be, now that I know what to look for._

During the 4 months that followed, I used my endurance to my advantage, every moment I was able to keep my eyes open I watched Auron's movements, from the way he started an attack from a small shift in his posture, to how his stance moved slightly to accommodate mine. I still ended up losing these fights, but I no longer looked at them that way. I looked at them as I looked at books, and as books were meant to be read, so were these daily battles. I thought less of winning and more of learning his many techniques and somehow incorporating them into my fighting style. When training was over with Auron, I began to stay up later and train alone, working on increasing my speed and timing. I said few to no words during this period, focusing everything on preparing myself for the day when I would finally be on equal terms with my mentor. In the beginning of the sixth month, I knew I was ready. I could feel it in my bones. The time had come to fight for real. If I defeated him here, I would finally understand what he meant when he said I was my greatest opponent. As we got into our respective stances, Auron spoke.

"I have a feeling about this one Rioshin. Do you?" I simply nodded as I prepared myself for the battle i knew I must win. "**HAVE AT YOU**," we cried as we rushed each other, neither of us prepared to give an inch.

When we collided this time, it was different. The force of it was jarring as usual, but the strength that once overpowered me... was now equal to my own. Auron and I both strained against the deadlock with the same strength! I was overjoyed, but I didn't allow myself to show it. Strength was one thing, but speed was another. As if to prove my point, Auron quickly twirled around me to try and hit me on the side. This time though, I was able to see him do it. I spun around and caught him before his sword even pierced my clothing. Auron's eyes widened in shock for a moment, but he swiftly recovered his composure and made to sweep me from below. I jumped up in response and tried to kick him in the midsection to push him back. Auron saw this and used his arm-guard to block me. I used this to back-flip in the air and land a few feet away, my twin-blades twirling in my hands and ready for action. Auron brandished his sword at me, and gave a crooked smile.

"So, you've gotten faster. I must say I'm impressed." I returned the half-grin and replied, "I can go faster than that. Wanna see? That is of course, if you can keep up!" Auron tensed his legs and prepared to move. "Don't start getting cocky now kid. I can go faster too you know."

We ran at each other so fast that our feet barely touched the ground as we clashed yet again. If a normal human eye tried to track us, they would only see blurs moving throughout the room coming together, then quickly blasting apart. We parried, blocked, dodged, deadlocked and flipped all over the place. After about 10 minutes of this I knew that I would tire out quickly at this rate, so I decided to unleash my newest overdrive and hopefully finish this fight. After a recent deadlock break, I took advantage of the space to start my overdrive. I leaped up and crossed my twin-blades pointing upwards. My blades began to glow with a bright light as I closed my eyes to focus my energy into them. Auron saw what I was doing and quickly began his own newest overdrive. He brought his sword up and began chanting to it, strange dark symbols beginning to appear as he spoke, filling it with his own powerful energy. He then proceeded to take in a little of the liquid from his hip flask and then spray it on his weapon, which apparently would increase its power somehow. As for me, my twin-blades shone with the radiance of a hot summer sun as I cried:

**"Blade Runner: Yagami Maelstrom!"** Many blades of light began to rain down from my weapons, all of them heading towards Auron. I hope you've got something up your sleeves old man I thought, as the blades began to hit the ground around him. I don't have much control over this! That's when i heard Auron cry:

**"Bushido! Banishing Blade!" **I saw dark energy begin to absorb the blades of light before any of them could do any serious damage. Some of the dark energy began to fly towards me. I was able to deflect the worst of it, but some of it struck my body, stealing a bit of my energy in the process. I staggered a little as I brought my blades back down to my sides, still standing but breathing heavily. After the smoke cleared around Auron, I noticed that he was breathing hard too! And there were even tears in his clothes! Auron noticed my excitement and nodded.

"Well done. You've managed to inflict some damage, very impressive. But you have not defeated me yet. Since we are both worn down, how about an old-fashioned decisive strike to finish things?" I smiled and positioned my blades accordingly. "That I'd be considered worthy... It is an honor Master." Auron chuckled as he positioned his sword on his right side, blade pointing behind him. "Are you mocking me boy? Whether you jest or not, It is an honor indeed. And don't look at me as your Master. You and I are on equal terms as of now. Are you ready?" I prepared to run as I replied, "Need I say it?" **"GGGRRAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"**

We charged head long at each other, either of us hoping to catch the other first as we swept past each other. Time seemed to slow as we went past, but even then I wasn't sure whose blow landed, The feeling was somehow delayed. Before I knew it, the moment was over, and we straightened up, standing several feet apart, our backs to each other in a silent display of pride. That's when something in my vision pulsed, and I felt my body begin to shut down. I fought against my failing body with my mind, determined not to fall, but to no avail, I used up too much energy. I fell to my knees once more, barely hearing my blades clatter to the floor as I thought, _Damn, looks like I lost again. Figures..._ Thats when I heard another voice, a voice I remember hearing only in one place. My nightmares. **_I wouldn't be so sure... Rioshin. Looks like you got lucky this time. Though if it were me, I would've beaten him on the first day! heh heh heh heh..._** That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out. Auron slowly turned around and regarded my sleeping form.

"Humph. looks like your ready after all. Still, to mature this quickly... must've been his assistance... Guh!" Auron winced as he clutched his side, though it wasn't blood he leaked, it was pyre-flies instead. "I guess this works in my favor. You won Rioshin. Today, you have defeated me. But tomorrow, you will have to defeat... yourself."

Alright! It seems that Rioshin's other "self" has awakened! I wonder how Rioshin will handle the news? Find out in Chapter 7: Inner Encounter!


	7. Chapter 7 Inner encounter

Hey everyone, After an uber-long hiatus I AM BACK! Well, no screwin around, lets dive straight into Chapter 7! & of course, I own no part of Final Fantasy, Square Enix, or Bleach for that matter, which is where I'm taking a slight reference from here… Anyway, on with the story!

Chapter 7 Inner Encounter

"_Hey. Wake up man. Upsy daisy. Hey! HEY! WAKE THE HELL UP!"_

I felt the ground under me rumble, crack, & finally explode as I was rocketed a good 30 feet in the air! I was awake by then, and I darn near screamed like a girl too. I opened my eyes to see myself plummeting to the ground, & quickly righted myself, landing in a low crouch. "Okay, whose responsible for the rude awakening," I called, looking into a vast expanse of gray nothingness. I heard my voice echo outward, and heard it undulate, then dissipate. I waited in the pregnant silence, almost hoping for no answer. Then_: "Well well well! Look whose finally awake! Did u get any sleep last night? All that extensive training of yours, and no sleep? Pitiful. What happened to a little R&R?"_

I heard the distorted voice from behind, and with it, came a faint chill that was too damn familiar. I spun around, and stared at, me. Though he wasn't exactly like me. He was a negative mirror image. All of my features on his body were on opposite sides, and every color on his body and clothes had the exact opposite of light and dark colors, even down to the skin and mimicked my shocked look, maybe a bit exaggerated; his eyes nearly popped out of his skull, his jaw dropped halfway down to the floor, which was humanly impossible, and a shriek like a banshee came out of his gaping maw, nearly knocking me down. The pseudo-Rioshin quickly put his body back together and started laughing. "_OMG man! That was great! You shoulda seen the look on yer face! Priceless!"_

I stood back upright, and cleared my throat. "Yeah, hilarious. Excuse me but um, who the HELL are you?"

My strange double let out a few more chuckles before straightening up himself. He cocked his head to one side, grinned and said, _"Always straight to the point aren't ya? I swear, you have zero sense a' humor! But seriously…"_

My dark double tilted his head back to the center, his face became hard and cold as he began to walk toward me, his smile gone and his eyes deadly_. "The question shouldn't be __**who**__ I am, which you should know, but __**what**__."_

That's when he began to run at me, laughing like a hell spawn on crack. I quickly reached for my blades to defend myself… only to realize none were there. _"Lookin' fer these babies?"_

I looked up in horror to see him holding my twin blades in each arm… _How did he… when did he… _I thought, as he started running faster, twirling the weapons like rotor blades across the ground, leaving sparks in their wake. _"Don't just stand there ya doofus,"_ My clone said, moving even _faster_ across the floor. _If yer not gunna rush me, then get the hell outta the way!"_

I moved to the side right before he would've gutted me, the blades missing me by inches as I dodged the attack, hoping to counter with a hard right to the ribs. The counter failed however, as I only hit his afterimage. _What the.._ I quickly got into a defensive stance, looking left, right, forward, behind, down… _"Up."_

I saw him come down like a dark angel, the blades aiming at my face with point-blank precision. I quickly flipped myself into a handstand, scissor-gripped the blades with my legs, & threw him across the room. I flipped right-side up as he rolled on the floor, the blades flying out of his hands. That wasn't enough to keep my opponent down of course. Proving me right, he stopped rolling with his hands, and flipped back to his feet as well. _"Not bad! Fer the record, I'm impressed ya came up with that yerself!"_

I grinned in spite of the situation, considered a retort, then thought better of it. "I don't have time for this,"

I said, going into a defensive stance. "I want some answers! Where am I, what happened to Auron, and for the second time, who, or _what_ are you?"

My opposite twin just stared. _"Are you really that dense? Did you already forget what Auron told you? Think hard now. Shouldn't be too difficult to remember!"_

I thought back to Auron's words, trying to figure out what he meant. Then it hit me, all at once. Seeing the dawning comprehension on my face, pseudo-me nodded knowingly_. "That's right Simple McSimpleton. You beat Auron. And now, ya gotta beat… me! Who am I? I'm you! Ya gotta beat yourself to get outta here! Sinkin in now? Good. Cuz that's the last freebie yer gunna get!"_

My twin turned around and walked towards my blades, bent down, and picked them up. "Hey, those are-"

_"Yours. Yes I know. Here. I don't need 'em."_

He casually tossed the blades in my direction, and I just managed to catch them by the handles when he spoke again. _"I have my own anyway."_

I looked up and gasped in surprise as I saw him twirling his own negative copy of white twin blades in his hands. His crazy grin was back as he said_, "The only reason I had yours-"_

Then he vanished again. I blinked, and he was right in front of me, that evil smirk of his growing wider than any smirk should. _"Was just to show you how __**easy**__ it was to take them."_

I quickly brought my blades up to block his from my throat. My arms began to shake immediately as I held him at bay. His smile was wide, but they didn't reach his cold, merciless eyes as he spoke yet again. _"And the only reason your head isn't rolling on the floor right now…_ _Is because__** I**__**don't want it there**__. Not yet. You'd do well to remember that."_

I pushed myself from the deadlock and back-pedaled as fast as my legs could carry me, knowing deep down that he was merely letting me go. And that scared me more than anything in the world. I looked up at him, hoping he hadn't vanished again, but he was still standing there, his smile gone, and his body in a fighting stance that mirrored my own. _"Guess I should also tell you __**what**__ I am. I exist in this form because of what happened a year ago. When your brother stabbed you through? He infected you with the Heldrac gene. I am a combination of that and your subconscious. In other words, I am the embodiment of your fear, turmoil, rage and hatred in one body. You can call me_ __. So,"_

he said, crouching a little, prepared to pounce like a cat on a mouse. _"Knowing that, will you still fight?"_

I knew this was the only way to get stronger. If I could beat this twisted version of myself, maybe I could overcome my inner problems too. Kill two birds with one stone y'know? So I crouched in the same fashion, preparing for the battle of my life. "Bring it."

Sorry folks, but this is all I can do for this chapter since I have tremendous writer's block from not writing in so long! By the way, did you notice I left the Heldrac's name blank? Its for a very good reason… I don't know a good name yet! So I'd like what little fans I have to help me come up with one! Plz try and use the elements of my story to name the character in a way that fits with his personality, that's all I ask. After the name has been chosen, I'll give a shout out to the great soul who came up with it in the next chapter, which will be named, Dark Identity. Cool right? Ok, I'm countin on you guyz! Peace out!


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